Musical instrument bow



July 22, 1969 L. GLASSER 3,456,544

MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT BOW Filed Sept. 27, 1965 W/i/A Fl 6. a 4% INVENTOR 11.1mm L0N GLASSER v1' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,456,544 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT BOW Leon Glasser, 4010 Saxon Ave., Bronx, NY. 10463 Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,416 Int. Cl. Gd 3/16 US. Cl. 84-282 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned essentially with a musical instrument bow comprising a stick of reinforcement plastic having a longitudinally extending bore, a plastic molded head and a plastic molded frog affixed to opposite ends of said stick and connecting means in both said'frog and said head for releasably clamping hair to the same.

This invention relates generally to musical instruments, and is especially concerned with bows for stringed instruments, such as violins and the like;

As is well known to those versed in the art, bow construction for many, many years has been primarily of wood, requiring extreme skill in wood selection and manufacturing procedures. Further, even bows produced by the most accomplished artisans are of unpredictable characteristics in their finished condition. This results from inherent variation in wood, both from piece to piece, and within the same piece, so that balance of the finished bow, as well as its elasticity and resilient flexibility are largely the products of chance. Further, even the best bows produced by prior methods were wanting in consistency and repeatability of their desirable characteristics, say due to variations in atmospheric humidity, and for other reasons. Nor were bows of prior conventional construction suitably durable, even under most careful conditions of use, say by warpage inherent in the relatively delicate configuration. Y

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and unique musical-instrument bow-construction which completely eliminates the above-mentioned difiiculties, and results in a bow having any desired qualities of resilient flexibility and; elasticity,

which characteristics-remain constant under all conditions, wherein any selected weight distribution may be precisely obtained,and which construction is'entirely free from warpage and other environmental changes, both temporary and permanent.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a bow construction of the type described which is extremely simple in structure, staunch and durable throughout a long useful life without' special care, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

The instant invention further contemplates the provi sion of-unique structural features in a musical-instrument bow, including improved hair-clamping means, and the use of materials resulting in highlyadvantageous results, such as improved tonal quality.

Other objects ofv the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material partof this disclosure. I The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described. j I

In the drawings: V V

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FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a bow constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention, partly broken away to conserve drawing space, and partly exploded for clarity of understanding;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one part of the bow of FIGURE 1 in its assembled condition;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another part of the bow of FIGURE 1 in its assembled condition;

FIGURE 4 is a partial transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal elevational view, partly broken away, showing a slightly modified embodiment of bow constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the head of the bow of FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the frog of the bow of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 9 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG- URE 7 but showing a modified embodiment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURES 1-4 thereof, the bow of FIG- URE l is there generally designated 10 and includes a stick 11, head 12, frog 13, and hairs 14.

The stick 11 is of a slender, elongate configuration having a longitudinally extending thru bore 16 which tapers toward its head end, as at 17. Adjacent to the frog 13, the bore 16 may be reduced, as at 18 in FIGURE 2, and a lateral cutout or downward opening 19' may be formed adjacent to and spaced inward from the stick end 20, communicating between the bore portion of hollow 21 and the frog 13.

In practice of the instant invention, the stick 11 is fabricated by circumferentially winding plastic-impregnated glass fiber reinforcement, such as fiber glass tape, about a mandrel, after which the mandrel is removed to leave the stick interiorly hollow. The arrangement and amount of fiber glass windings are predetermined by cutting a sheet of plastic impregnated glass fiber into a predetermined pattern or peripheral contour thus to achieve the desired resilient flexibility and elasticity, as well as distribution of weight. The frog end portion 22 of the stick 11 may advantageously be externally of an octagonal cross-sectional configuration, as best seen in FIGURE 4, which configuration may be achieved by an external mold applied during curing of the resin.

Adjacent to the stick end 20, there is provided in the stick a longitudinally extending internal bore portion 25' serving to rotatably receive or journal a threaded member or lead screw 26 which extends through the laterally open bore portion 21 and into the reduced portion 18, as at 27.

The reduced bore portions 18 and 25 may be defined by a tubular insert 23 suitably cut away to provide the downward opening 19. An actuating head or knob 28 is provided on the outer end of lead screw 26, outward of stick end 20 for abutting engagement with the latter. Circumposed about and in threaded engagement with the threaded member or lead screw 26, interiorly of the hollow 21, is a follower nut 29 having a fastener element 30 projecting therefrom laterally or downwardly outward through the cutout 19.

The frog 13 may include an elongate, generally flat body 32, advantageously integrally molded of plastic, and having its upper side formed with a trough 33 configured conformable to the underside of octagonal stick portion 3 22. A seat or'lining 34 is'conformably'engaged in the trough 33, and the fastener 30 extends through the seat 34 into threaded engagement in the frog body 32. The front body 32 has its lower longitudinal edge formed with a longitudinally extending groove 70 which opens through opposite ends of the body. An end groove 71 is formed in the frog body extending upwardly from the underside groove 70 and terminates short'of the upper side of the body. The forward end of the frog body 32 may. be cut away, as at 72, between the upper and lower edges in the conventional manner. An elongate hole 73 inward of the frog 13. The sheath 60 may include a'pair is formed. in the frog body 32 opening downwardly into of plastic sleeves or tubes 61 and 62 snugly circumposed about the stick 11 and in end-to-end overlapping relation with each other.

It will now be appreciated that the bow 10 may be employed in the conventional manner to produce the advantageous results mentioned herein-before. Loosening and tightening of the hair 14 is readily achieved by rotation of knob 28 in opposite directions to move frog 13 toward and away from head 12. Also, the hair 14 may be removed and replaced by loosening or removal of clamping plugs 37 and 55, in the manner described.

In the slightly modified embodiment of FIGURES 58, the bow there illustrated is generally designated 10a, and includes a stick 11 which may be substantially identical to the stick of the first-described embodiment. Carried at the head endof stick 11 is a head 12a, and carried atthe other end of the stick is a frog 13a. Hair 14a extends between member or screw 38 threadedly engageable into the nut 36 for drawing the plug 37 upward into the hole 35. An end portion 39 of the hair 14 is adapted to be interposed between the plug 37 and a side wall of the hole 35, and releasably clamped therebetween upon tightening of the screw 38 to move the plug further into the hole.

The underside of the frog body 32 may be covered with a strip or liner 41 serving to conceal the clamping plug 37 and screw 38; and, the covering strip 41 may be removably secured in position by a ferrule 42 circumposed about a projection 43 of the frog body and an end portion of the strip 41. The other end portion of the strip 41 may be retained in position by a covering or liner strip 4'4 of generally angulate configuration having a retainer lip engaging beneath the strip 41.

The head 12, in accordance with the instant invention, may advantageously be molded of plastic, say by injection molding, or otherwise suitably fabricated. The head includes an arm or extension 46 having its distal end in end-to-end relation with the adjacent or head end of the stick 11, and may be provided with an internal bore 47 opening into the adjacent tapering portion 17 of bore 16. A connecting pin 48 may extend between the arm 46 and head end of stick 11, including an externally tapering portion 49, firmly, conformably engaged in the internally tapering bore portion 17, and a knurled portion 50 engaged in the bore 47 of head arm 46.

The body portion 51 of head 12 extends transversely of the arm 46 and is provided on its end with an inwardly extending tapering hole 52 of generally rectangular or other noncircular cross section. The inner and of hole 52 may be provided with a recess 53.

Removably engaged in nonrotative relation in the hole 52 is an internally threaded member or nut 54 having-a central hole in alignment with the recess 53. A tapering plug 55, of noncircular configuration conforming to that of hole 52, is engaged in the hole toward the nut 54, and provided with a central thru opening 56. A threaded fastener or screw 57 is engaged thru the hole 56 and threadedly into the nut 54, the recess v53 serving to accommodate the inner end of the screw upon tightening the latter. The head end portion 58 of hair 14 is interposed between the plug 55 and adjacent side or wall of hole 52, so that inward movement of the plug serves to clamp the hair end portion 58 between the plug and hole side. Of course, removal or loosening of screw 57 effects loosening of plug 55 for removal of hair portion 58, when desired. Advantageously, a covering of" metal or metalsimulating material 59 may be provided on the end of. head body part 51, surrounding thehole 52.

and is connected to the head 12a and frog 13a. 7

More particularly, the frog 13a includes a body 32a which .may advantageously be molded of plastic, and is formed'in its underside with a downwardly opening'hole 35a. Internally of the hole 35a is loosely received a clamping block 37a disposed generally in facing relation with a wall 65 of the hole 35a. A threaded member or screw 38a is threadedly engaged through the frog :body 32a laterally into the hole 35a toward the hole wall or side-65. The frog end portion 39a of hair 14a is interposed between the block 37a and hole wall or side 65, and the screw 38a is threaded inward to releasably clamp the hair portion 39a in position.

, The frog 13a may otherwise be similar to the frog 13, including a cover strip 41a on the underside of the frog body retained at one end by a ferrule 42a, and at its other end by an angulate member or clip 44a.

The head 12a, see FIGURES 6 and 8, is provided with a hole 52a extending inward from the end of the head, and loosely received in the hole 52a is a clamping block 55a arranged in facing relation with a wall or side 66 of .the hole. A threaded member or screw 57a is engaged laterally in threaded relation through the head 12a, and extends into the hole 52a toward the wall 66. The screw 57a is rotatable to urge the clamping block 55a more or less toward the internal wall 66; and, the head hair end portion 58a is engageable between the block 55a and hole side 66 to be clamped therebetween upon rotation of screw 57a. Of course, the hair end portions 58a and 39a may be removed by unscrewing or loosening of the screws 57a and 38a, respectively.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 9, the frog body 32 is provided with a headed screw or fastener 74 threadedly engaged in hole 73. In this manner, the hair 14 is effectively, removably retained by clamping action exerted between the head of fastener 74 and adjacent downwardly facing surface of groove 70.

- From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides an-entirely novel and highly advantageous musical-instrument bow which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is otherwise well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

What is claimed is:

v 1. A musical-instrument bow comprising an elongate stick of circumferentially wound plastic-impregnated glass fiber sheet-cut in a predetermined pattern such that the desired weight distribution and flexibility may be obtained, said stick being interiorly hollow, a head at the head end of said stick, said head being connected to said stick by a connecting pin extending into both the bore of said stick andinto said head for rigid attachment of said head to said stick, the frog end portion of said stick being 'of an octagonal crosse-sectional configuration, a frog mounted on said stickadjacent said'fr ogend portion for movement In addition, in order to facilitate handling of the bow 10 in the conventional manner of artists, a handling sheath 60 may be circumposed about the stick 11 adjacent to and longitudinally along said stick, adjustment means connected to said stick and frog for movi'n'gthe latter to'a selected position of adjustment along said stick, hair extending between said head and frog, and hair-clamping means on each of said head and frog for releasably clamping hair to each of same, said head and frog each being molded of plastic, said adjustment means comprising a lead screw extending rotatably into the frog end of said stick longitudinally thereof, and a follower nut threaded on said lead screw and connected to said frog to move the latter upon screw rotation.

2. A musical-instrument bow according to claim 1, each of said hair-clamping means comprising a tapered plug conformably engageable into the respective head and frog for clamping engagement with said hair, and threaded means relasably securing each of said plugs in said clamping engagement.

3. A musical-instrument bow according to claim 1, each of said clamping means comprising a clamping block loosely engageable into the respective head and frog and movable therein into and out of clamping engagement with said hair, and threaded means releasably securing each of said blocks in said clamping engagement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,286 12/ 1903 Keast 84-282 1,912,961 6/ 1933 Allison 84-482 2,263,793 11/1941 Woerner 84-282 2,571,717 10/1951 Howald et al. 43--18 2,624,225 1/ 1953 Nebel 84282 2,726,185 12/1955 Howald 156-174 2,749,643 6/1956 Scott 43-17 2,252,929 8/ 1941 Heddon 84282 2,487,442 11/1949 Hohl 84--282 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner LAWRENCE R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner 

